In recent years, as a result of global climate change, the probability of the occurrence of super typhoons and rainstorms in Hong Kong has increased, which may trigger severe flooding and threaten lives and property. To mitigate this potential risk, Superpower Pumping Engineering Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Hong Yip, leveraged Internet of Things (IoT) technology to develop the 'Smart Ventilation Blind System'. When a rainstorm or typhoon is approaching, the system automatically closes the ventilation blind of the buildings' electrical and mechanical rooms (E&M rooms). Under close real-time monitoring, the electrical and mechanical installations are securely protected. 

In recognition of developing the innovative 'Smart Ventilation Blind System', Superpower won the gold award in this year's SHKP Work Safety Suggestion Scheme. The 'Smart Ventilation Blind System' was installed in the company's property St Moritz in Sha Tin, with satisfactory results. 

    2. If the water level reaches the sensor, the ventilation blind will be automatically closed to prevent rainwater from entering the electrical and mechanical room

    4. Property management staff can remotely monitor the situation in real time using their smartphones, which are connected to the CCTVs and flood alert

SHKP is committed to enhancing service quality for its tenants. Recently, the company launched a new mobile app, called Work e-asy, which is dedicated to its office buildings on the mainland. The app provides more effective and personalized property management services to the tenants of SHKP's five flagship buildings in eastern China: Shanghai IFC, Shanghai ICC, ITC, Shanghai Central Plaza and Nanjing IFC. 

Work e-asy incorporates the most commonly used functions with a customized interface. Tenants can use the app to request various services, including maintenance, additional air conditioning, cargo lift booking and visitor registration, without the need for direct contact with property management staff, and they can track the progress of their requests in real time. Work e-asy also provides tenants with one-stop attentive service. Through the app, tenants can instantly receive the latest property notices, opening announcements of new shops in SHKP malls and exclusive offers, and make reservations at restaurants in the malls. 

To help ensure social distancing amid the pandemic, tenants can now use the advanced facial recognition system in Work e-asy to enter their buildings. Additionally, to replace the traditional visitor pass, tenants can use their smartphones to send their personalized QR code to visitors in an SMS message. These functions fulfil the need for security protection, while providing more convenient access to the buildings for tenants and visitors.

Work e-asy now covers 98% of office tenants and has become an indispensable app for them. We remain in close communication with tenants and will upgrade the platform regularly to create a better user experience. 

The Point enhances members' user experience by continuously optimizing the interface and adding new functions. Point Dollar was recently launched and is applicable to the 25 SHKP malls, offering greater flexibility in the use of points.

Spending points as cash under the Point Dollar programme

In addition to redeeming points accumulated from spending at The Point for various privileges and offers, members can now use its mobile app to convert points to Point Dollar, which can be used directly as cash (Every 250 points can be used as HK$1 Point Dollar; at least HK$10 Point Dollar must be converted, with no maximum cap). Converting and using Point Dollar is easy. Just key in the amount to be converted in the mobile app prior to every transaction. A QR code will be issued that can be used for payment within a limited time, offering convenience for dining, shopping and leisure. 25 SHKP malls and over 1,700 merchants currently accept Point Dollar, and more merchants are expected to successively join the programme, providing members with greater choices, convenience and pleasure when shopping at SHKP malls.

SmarTone supports its customers under mandatory quarantine with stable, high-speed internet access amid the pandemic. Customers who provide designated proof of quarantine for verification are entitled to an extra 100GB of free local data and unlimited local voice minutes. Members of SmarTone PriorityPlus™ Premium and PriorityPlus™, SmarTone long-term users of 10 years or more, and 5G Home Broadband users can all receive to-the-door delivery* of a 30-day free SmarTone Home 5G Broadband service with a 5G Wi-Fi 6 router if they provide validated proof of isolation at the Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre or other designated venues to ensure they stay connected with the world while under quarantine. 

*To-the-door delivery available at Junior Police Call Permanent Activity Centre at Pat Heung and AsiaWorld-Expo Community Treatment Facility only. Deliveries to customers at Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre will be made to a designated family member responsible for relaying the final delivery

Focusing on nurturing young talent, the SHKP Management Trainee Programme recruits high-calibre graduates under its three-year programme, offering comprehensive training and diversified working opportunities to help them realize the potential. Maggie and Jacky, management trainees in 2019 and 2021, were invited for sharing. If you know any young talent seeking career development, they are highly encouraged to check out SHKP Young Talent for the latest details on the Management Trainee Programme and Summer Internship Programme.

In December, SHKP has decorated its malls with diverse Christmas themes and run festive light shows on the facades of its landmark buildings to prepare for the coming of Christmas. SHKPNews wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

As always, Sun Hung Kai Centre is full of a festive atmosphere during the Christmas and New Year period. The exterior wall lighting design this year shows a dove, which symbolizes peace, bringing love and gifts to Hong Kong, and good wishes for the coming year. Colleagues working at headquarters can find a good spot in the building after work to enjoy the lighting, while others can click the attached video link.

In addition, from now until 26 December, ICC, on the opposite side of the Victoria Harbour, will run Christmas-themed animation on its facade from 6pm to 10pm every evening. And on 31 December, ICC will have New Year Eve Countdown show on its gigantic facades together with M+ museum wall as organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, so that the public can join the countdown to welcome 2022 in unison.

SHKP attaches great importance to sustainable development and actively promotes environmental protection at various levels. Its property-management subsidiaries Kai Shing, Hong Yip and Sanfield won numerous Gold Awards at the 2020 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence.

Injecting new green elements into a residential estate　Wonderland Villas wins two awards

Wonderland Villas, which was completed in 1984, received the Gold Award in the Property Management (Residential) category at the 2020 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence, and Ms Chan Sau Man, Senior Clubhouse & PR Manager, was commended as one of five Outstanding Green Achievers in Hong Kong. To promote environmental protection in a residential estate of nearly 40 years old, in addition to upgrading its soft and hard assets, the greatest challenge is how to convey green concepts to the residents. Chan said that in the past 10 years, she and her team have actively promoted environmental protection works such as food waste recycling and waste reduction in Wonderland Villas, sharing their experience with over 150 residential estates, school sponsoring bodies and social welfare organizations, and introducing the green technology in the Greater Bay Area. Amid the pandemic, the team even invited colleagues, residents and domestic helpers to serve as 'Green Living KOLs', producing environmental protection videos in different languages, which both the residents and colleagues enjoyed.

Promoting green living to households　YOHO Midtown wins the Gold Award after winning the Silver Award last year

YOHO Midtown also successfully won the Gold Award in the Property Management (Residential) category, after winning the Silver Award last year, in recognition of the creative ways its property management team used to promote environmental protection. The team set up three theme zones in the Apollo ECO PARK of the residential estate, namely Butterfly Valley, Green Midtown and Apollo Organic Farm, to promote green living. The team also installed energy-saving facilities, organized various recycling activities, and even set up an online short-video channel to share environmental protection messages with residents and the public in a relaxing atmosphere, which was well received by residents.

V city receives the Gold Award in the Property Management (Commercial & Industrial) category

V city, which won the Gold Award in the Property Management (Commercial & Industrial) category, continues to work hard to achieve sustainable development. It made use of the latest Big Data Chiller Plant Energy Management Platform to actively implement energy saving and emissions reduction. The mall uses the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analysis to increase the energy efficiency of its facilities. The mall has also launched the Organic and Reducing Plastics scheme. It does not only invite restaurant merchants to take part in the food waste collection program, but also provides tenants with reusable discarded wood panels as temporary fences during renovations. With these recycling and environmental protection initiatives, the mall actively conveys green message to residents and the community in an all-round way.

Sanfield's joint-venture company wins the Gold Award in the Construction Industry category

To reduce resource consumption and environmental nuisance during construction, Sanfield and its joint-venture company, Gammon, have actively taken various measures in The Sai Sha Road Widening Works and All Associated Facilities and Services for The Comprehensive Development at Shap Sz Heung, such as installing solar panels. The electricity generated is sufficient for the use of the office buildings on site, and the surplus electricity can be sold to the power company. With the introduction of various new technology, the joint-venture company also successfully transplanted a giant intertwined tree, achieving a balance between development and conservation.

In recent years, the Group's construction division has actively introduced new technology to advance construction safety, quality and efficiency, and to reduce its environmental impact. Following the use of the innovative Bridge Launching Technique by Rotation in The YOHO Hub in Yuen Long, which is still under construction, the construction division applied the same technique to build a footbridge across the light rail tracks to link The YOHO Hub to Yuen Long Station on the Tuen Ma Line within only four days in August this year. SHKP becomes the first property developer to adopt the Bridge Launching Technique by Rotation in Hong Kong. In recent months, the same launching technology was used to build a larger-scale Pedestrian and Vehicular Bridge. SHKPNews took the opportunity to invite the construction division to explain this innovative launching technology to our colleagues.

Q: How does the Bridge Launching Technique by Rotation work?

A: First, we set up a construction turntable and rotation system on site, connecting the completed bridge structure to the system. The bridge structure was then rotated 180 degree horizontally to the designated location within a short time and was fixed using vertical strand cables. Next the bridge was lowered slowly until it was firmly fixed to the pre-assembled permanent end bearing. It works the same way as a magnified hanging market scale, except that one side of the scale is the bridge structure while the other side is a counterweight of steel billets, weighing over 1,200 tonnes.

Q: The principle sounds quite simple…

A: It is not as simple as it seems, and it requires a lot of preparation. Over 300 experienced colleagues, specialist consultants and subcontractor representatives were brought together to work out the construction details. Overseas bridge launching experts and independent mechanical and lifting consultants were also invited to review and provide advice on the launching scheme. In addition, the team produced a construction animation using Building Information Modelling (BIM) at an early stage for briefings to the related government departments and MTR Corporation (MTRC) to provide a comprehensive picture of the entire launching mechanism, safety measures, construction procedure, etc. The Bridge Launching Technique by Rotation is about 2.5 times more expensive than the conventional technique. But owing to its many benefits, such as 60% less construction time, and a much lower impact on local traffic and nearby residents, SHKP was still willing to invest in this new technology.

Q: Did the team encounter any difficulties, and if so, how did they overcome them?

A: The greatest difficulty was the limited time and space available for construction. Since the bridge crossed the light rail tracks, we had to apply for an electric isolation permit from the railway safety division of MTRC for project construction. Only about two hours of track possession was granted in the early morning for construction to avoid traffic disruption, so the time available for bridge launching construction was extremely tight. Furthermore, as the video shows, the construction site was sandwiched between Yuen Long Station on the Tuen Ma Line, the public transport interchange, the Yuen Long Light Rail Terminus, and the podium of the Sun Yuen Long Centre, which is next to the railway viaduct on the Tuen Ma Line and right above the light rail tracks, which are connected to high-voltage cables. Since the space available for construction was very limited, it was a severe constraint for construction and multiplied the difficulties. Therefore, we applied BIM at the preliminary design stage to simulate and deal with all possible situations in advance and ensure that construction was carried out as safely and effectively as possible.

Q: Since the bridge launching was located right above the railway tracks, were the safety requirements higher than usual?

A: Definitely! To ensure safety, the Safe Working Load (SWL) of the system design was doubled for the lifting cables, and a maximum 80% of SWL was applied in the actual operation. In addition, the entire rotating system was designed to theoretically withstand adverse weather of up to Hurricane Signal No. 10. In early October, two Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals No. 8 were hoisted, triggered by the Lionrock and Kompasu cyclones. The whole system safely withstood the adverse weather, as designed. 

Q: Was this new technology invented by SHKP?

A: Although similar technologies have been used overseas and on the mainland, SHKP is probably the first property developer to adopt the Bridge Launching Technique by Rotation in Hong Kong. Since this construction technology has won the attention and affirmation of the worldwide construction industry, we have received plenty of inquiries about intent to purchase the related technology and equipment!